06-16-2025 - Agenda Packet Planning Commission - Planning Commission Packet

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To: Chair Bollis and Planning Commission Members Adam Edwards, City Administrator From: Laura Oakden, Community Development Director Date: June 16, 2025 Subject: #LA25-000022, Text Amendment: Section 78-823 Garage Condo Parking Standards Background In 2024, the City Council amended the City Code to allow Garage Condominiums (Garage Condos) as a Conditional Use within the Industrial District. At the April 28, 2025 meeting, Council directed staff to prepare a text amendment to create off-street parking standards for the Garage Condo use. Off- street parking standards should be balanced with the existing prohibition under the Garage Condo use against dwelling use or events on the site. The City of Orono does not have an off-street parking standard applied to Garage Condos. When the recent application for Orono Garage Condos (File #LA24-000068) was reviewed, Staff referenced the parking standards for “multi-tenant industrial buildings” as a starting point for garage condos. This standard requires “one space for each 400 square feet of gross floor area, or the sum of the component gross floor areas as follows, whichever is greater”. Using this standard as an example results in 2.7 parking spaces per unit. This means the Orono Garage Condos development would have been required to provide 235 parking stalls to support their project. Applying the standard to the development, the interior floor space of the garage condo buildings was needed to comply with this standard. Upon further review, staff determined that this requirement to be excessive and further analysis of existing garage condo uses in other cities showed that it was highly unlikely the garage condo use would create the demand for 235 parking spaces. Staff revised the parking recommendation to require a parking stall in front of each unit to be in line with other similar projects in other cities. Following approval of the recent application, Planning Commission and Council expressed a desire for further research into parking standards for garage condo uses. Staff was directed to initiate an amendment to the Garage Condos parking standard addressing additional parking for guests on the site, better maneuverability, and to prevent off-site parking impacts to nearby streets. The existing standards within the garage condo use prohibiting dwellings or events on the site should be taken into consideration. Research Staff has provided information from other cities with garage condo developments. Additionally, staff has conducted research on the parking standards for similar uses such as “mini storage” and “self-storage”. Garage Condo Use Staff found that most cities do not have off-street parking standards specific to a garage condo use. In the situations where off-street parking was required, it was due to an additional amenity or more intensive use was proposed such as commercial space, club house, or the parking was an existing condition of the site. Of the garage condo developments in Corcoran, Cottage Grove, and Independence, no minimum parking Application Summary: The City of Orono is proposing an ordinance to amend the Zoning Code to create off-street parking standards for the Garage Condos use within the Industrial District. Staff Recommendation: Planning Department Staff recommends approval. 63